


Gumaan

by amolegere



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Dorian is a Good Friend, F/M, Inquisitor & Dorian Pavus Friendship, One Shot, Post-Trespasser
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-16 21:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13645065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amolegere/pseuds/amolegere
Summary: Gumaan: to become lighterTakes place about one year after the Exalted Council. Lavellan finds something that she forgot she had.





	Gumaan

**Author's Note:**

> Warning that there's some cursing in the fic

Luwalhati sat down at her desk in her quarters. She was exhausted. It had been a long day of meetings in addition to strategizing with Cassandra, Leliana, and Harding. She looked over at the calendar at the corner of her desk. Exactly one year since the Exalted Council. And her meeting with Solas. She sighed deeply, trying to remain calm. She was the Inquisitor, a symbol of hope, proof that someone like her, a mage, an elf (and a Dalish one at that), could be important too. She had to be strong.

She got up to get ready for bed, but in her ignorance bumped against her desk and sent several things to the floor. She bent down to pick them up when she saw it. It had been years since she’d seen it, she had almost forgotten about its existence.

 

* * *

 

Lu said goodbye to Dorian. She only meant to ask him a simple question but they ended up having a long conversation on more efficient ways to cast necromancy spells. She made her way down the stairs to the atrium. Of course she could get to the main hall another way, but coming this way meant passing by Solas. And maybe she liked sneaking peeks at him whenever she had the chance.

“Vhenan,” Solas said as she passed by, “um...do you have a moment?”

 _For you? Always_ , was what she wanted to say. “Sure, I have some time.”

Solas hesitated for a moment. He was...nervous? That was new. Lu waited for him to speak. Solas took something out from beneath the various papers and books on his desk. It looked like a thin book wrapped in parchment.

“I heard it was your birthday,” he said as he held it out to her. She noticed his ears turning a slight red. Was he blushing? Luwalhati wondered how he found out. Leliana had all the information about them, but she didn’t seem like the type to go around telling people whose birthday it was. Maybe it was Josephine.

“Solas, you didn’t have to get me anything.”

She gave him a small smile and took the gift from his hand. Solas was trying to avoid eye contact. What was it that had him acting so different? It was too light to be a book. Peeling off the parchment revealed the back of a canvas. Lu flipped it over and let out a small gasp. It was a painting. Two elves faced each other, both with one hand out to each other. The elf on the right held a staff in his left hand and wore a gold tunic with loose white sleeves. Similarly, the one on the left had a staff in her left hand and wore an outfit with a long vest that had a leaf-like pattern, similar to the attire that Dalish Keepers wore. A gold vine with leaves entwined their outstretched hands together, implying that they were lovers. Scattered around the painting were loose leaves that glinted whenever the light hit it. It was beautiful. Suddenly, Luwalhati realized that the elf on the left bore a striking resemblance to herself. And so did the one on the right to someone else.

“Solas…,” It was her turn to blush now.

“Do you not like it?” Solas asked nervously. “I was not aware that your birthday would be coming up until a few days ago. I did not have much time to work on it. I realize that it is sloppy-”

“Solas, I love it. Thank you.” Luwalhati gave him another smile, her cheeks and ears feeling warmer each second. Solas moved closer to her. She noticed him glance down at her lips and lick his. This caused her to subconsciously bite her own. Both of them stood there, unsure which would make the first move.

“Oh, just kiss him already!” Dorian shouted at them from above.

Luwalhati looked up to glare at him, but before she knew it, Solas had pulled her in for a kiss. She felt her heart skip a beat. Lu placed the painting down on the desk and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Then Solas broke off the kiss, pressing his forehead against hers. He smiled.

“Ar lath ma, vhenan.”

 

* * *

 

 _Fuck_ , Luwalhati thought, _fuck_. That was the last straw. Memories came flooding back. Hands brushing while travelling. Lingering looks from across the room. Meetings in an abandoned Skyhold tower late at night that lasted until early dawn talking about nothing and everything, enjoying the view, enjoying each other’s presence,  just knowing that the other was there. The tears were streaming down her face and there was no stopping them. Luwalhati tried to take a deep breath in order to calm down, but all that came out was a sob.

She felt pathetic. She was sat on the floor, various documents and objects scattered about, clutching a painting and sobbing. She had stayed strong when they came back from Crestwood. Said nothing when she turned around and he was nowhere to be found after Corypheus was defeated. No note. No goodbye. Nothing. Just gone. Luwalhati didn’t hear anything for two years. Then the Exalted Council came about. They would face each other again. She thought she’d moved on. _Vhenan_ . She’d forgotten what it sounded like, coming through his lips. _My love_ . Then a kiss. _I will never forget you_. Luwalhati’s heart ached. After all this time, he still had an effect on her. She hated him. She hated him so much. She...she loved him. She _loves_ him.

“You what?!”

The sudden noise made her jump. It was coming from the message crystal, which was still around her neck. And was turned on. While she had apparently been thinking out loud. _Shit_.

“Dorian…,” she said. She was barely managing to cover the shakiness in her voice. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’m sorry.”

“My friend, are you...are you crying?” Luwalhati could hear the concern in his voice. She said nothing. The only sound between them was her occasional sniffling. “Lu, talk to me. Please?”

She let everything out then. About how she knew deep down, she loved Solas. And admitting it would make it _real_ and telling someone would make it _real_. It had scared her. It was the first time she had ever felt that strongly about someone. She had wanted to tell him. She was going to. At Crestwood. But before she had the chance, he had broken up with her. She had felt devastated. But she held it in. She was the Inquisitor and she couldn’t show weakness.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Dorian said eventually. “Did you not trust me?”

“It's not that.”

“I wish you had. If not to me, then to someone. Anyone. It’s not good to bottle things in, Lu.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I thought I could handle it.”

“Oh...I have to go. Maevaris is here. We have a meeting with the Lucerni. You can always talk to me, you know that right? I’m here for you.”

“Thanks, Dorian. You’re a good friend.”

They bid farewell. Luwalhati started cleaning up the mess on the floor, the weight in her chest a little less heavy.

**Author's Note:**

> I am not exactly sure how message crystals work, so if I wrote that incorrectly please let me know! Feedback and constructive criticism is always appreciated.
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!


End file.
